Piper PA25 accident near Destin, Florida, September 10, 2020
On September 10, 2020 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA25, registered N7366Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Destin, Florida. It was a banner-towing flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to manage the available fuel supply which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2020 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA25 235, built 1965 · all PA25s on the register
- Registration
- N7366Z · registry record · serial 25-3320
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a routine banner tow flight in an airplane equipped with a main fuel tank as well as an auxiliary fuel tank that transferred fuel to the main fuel tank via a manually activated fuel pump. The pilot was distracted due to the air traffic control and the volume of air traffic in the area, and stated that he did not activate the auxiliary fuel tank transfer pump at the turnaround point where he typically would have during other banner tow flights. After about 3 hours of flight time, the engine lost power. The pilot was unsuccessful in his attempts to restart the engine, which included activating the fuel transfer pump during the descent. He subsequently ditched the airplane into the Gulf of Mexico, during which both of the airplane’s wings were substantially damaged.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ditching during emergency descent
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 624.4 hours in all; 273.7 in this make and model; 182.5 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 11, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,012.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 22, 2020
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 4,402 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ECP Panama City FL at 3:35 pm
- Destination: ECP Panama City FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Written Statement - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.